Although he didn't look like a schemer, it was their first meeting, and he didn't know Shi Xiaolei's true nature. From Rhode's perspective, it was natural for him to disagree with the suggestion Shi Xiaolei made to Stark.
It was human nature, and there was nothing wrong with it.
Shi Xiaolei understood Rhode's thoughts and didn't mind his opposition... Well, to be honest, after blurting out that suggestion in a moment of heat, he himself regretted it a bit, feeling like he had committed the taboo of 'being too familiar too soon.' After all, he and Stark were just friends, not 'best friends,' and it wasn't really appropriate to discuss topics that involved life and death.
However, the words were out, and it was hard to take them back... After thinking for a moment, Shi Xiaolei could only make a sacrifice and, with a desire to make amends, pulled out a trump card.
"This is..." Looking at the small medicine bottle in Shi Xiaolei's hand, Stark was first stunned, then showed a very curious look: "A new type of potion? What does it do?"
"I call it the Potion of Vitality." Shi Xiaolei tossed the small bottle to Stark and explained with a pained expression: "It can refresh your mind, detoxify... Well, the most widely applicable use is actually instant wound healing. You can think of it as an upgraded version of the red potion."
"Instant?" Stark shook the small bottle, and the purple liquid shimmered with dreamy and mysterious colors under the light: "Is it the 'instant' I'm thinking of?"
"Anyway, I've already given it to you, so you can verify it yourself." Shi Xiaolei smiled wryly and shook his head: "This is my most precious treasure, which I originally didn't intend to take out. If it weren't for... never mind. In short, if you decide to have the surgery, remember to tell me in advance. I'll get you some more of this potion then, as a form of insurance."
"Judging by your expression, this stuff isn't cheap, is it?"
Three Mana Potions + three Healing Potions + one Cracked Gem can only synthesize one small bottle of Potion of Vitality.
If Shi Xiaolei had played a version before 1.10, where he couldn't buy it directly from the store and had to craft purple potions through synthesis... in terms of rarity and preciousness, this item's value would be at least ten times that of an ordinary red potion.
"It's certainly not cheap. If we have to calculate the cost, it's at least ten times as much." Shi Xiaolei scratched his head with an embarrassed smile: "And the quantity is very small, which is why I asked you to give me a heads-up, so that I don't run out when you need it."
"Only ten times? I'll give you twenty times." As expected of a rich tycoon, Stark raised an eyebrow and said without hesitation: "Don't wait until later, starting tomorrow, save as much as you can, I'll take it all."
"...You have the money, so you call the shots." What else could he say? Shi Xiaolei spread his hands and shrugged.
"Do you have any other good stuff? I mean, like this..." Stark weighed the purple potion in his hand and asked again: "Something you've secretly hidden away and are reluctant to take out."
"Well..."
If he had any, the answer was definitely yes.
You see, after the faulty hard drive evolved into a system, Shi Xiaolei had completely unlocked the game's database. Aside from the NPCs and monsters not controlled by game characters, he could acquire any equipment and items that could be dropped in the game through Krypton Gold .
Remember the potions Stark bought from Shi Xiaolei for research and development? Although the single transaction volume wasn't as large as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s, the number of times made up for it. Back and forth, he had squeezed nearly three million from Stark, half of which Shi Xiaolei invested into the system.
An average of fifty thousand per gamble, he gambled more than thirty times... Just like when he played the game and chose a sorceress, he would never gamble on swords. He was selective, only looking at what he might use. After more than thirty gambles, Shi Xiaolei actually managed to get a few useful items that could be put to use at this stage.
One 'Victorious Silk' (Normal Ancient Armor), one Stone of Jordan (Ring), one 'Bloodletter' (Exceptional Roman Short Sword), and one Exceptional Five-Socket Two-Handed Great Sword with only +65% Enhanced Damage.
Let's look at the attributes of these items one by one... [Victorious Silk] Ancient Armor
Defense: 491
Required Level: 28
Required Strength: 100
Durability: 60
+110% Enhanced Defense
+1 to All Skills
5% Chance to Steal Mana Per Hit
+2 to Light Radius
... [Stone of Jordan] Ring
Required Level: 29
+1 to All Skills
Increase Maximum Mana by 25%
+1-12 Lightning Damage
+20 to Mana
... [Bloodletter] Roman Short Sword
One-Hand Damage: 31-97
Required Level: 30
Required Strength: 25
Durability: 54
+140% Enhanced Damage
+12-45 Damage
+90 to Attack Rating
20% Increased Attack Speed
10% Slower Stamina Drain
8% Life Stolen Per Hit
+3 to Whirlwind (Barbarian Only)
+3 to Sword Mastery (Barbarian Only)
... [Call to Arms] Hanreid's Sword (Runeword, not yet completed)
+1 to All Skills
+40% Increased Attack Speed
+250-290% Enhanced Damage (Variable)
+5-30 Fire Damage
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
+2-6 to Battle Command (Variable)
+1-6 to Battle Orders (Variable)
+1-4 to Battle Cry (Variable)
Prevent Monster Heal
Replenish Life +12
30% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
... Not enough money, can't afford the runes yet, so the last runeword will have to wait for a while, let's put it aside for now.
Just looking at the items already acquired.
The armor came with 'Mana Stolen Per Hit,' and the short sword had 'Life Stolen Per Hit' and 'Slower Stamina Drain,' which, when combined, could greatly enhance sustainability;
The ring's '+25% Maximum Mana' and '+20 Mana' might not be very useful for spellcasting characters, but for Shi Xiaolei, who had integrated the Barbarian bloodline, they could be of great use, as Barbarians were always weak-minded and lacked mana.
And those modifiers like enhanced defense, enhanced damage, +attack rating, and +lightning damage could also bring some tangible improvements and enhancements.
Of course, the most useful ones were the modifiers that added skill levels.
If the damage isn't enough, you can make up for it with attribute points... Although there's a level cap for characters, don't forget that there's also a book in the game, "Lam Esen's Tome," that can add attribute points.
Before he had money to gamble for equipment, Shi Xiaolei had thought about taking a shortcut. Simply put, he would spend money to get those unique items that had appeared in the questline to tide him over for a while. After his attempt, he was pleasantly surprised to find that items including the King's Staff, Viper Amulet, and Khalim's Will were not restricted and could indeed be bought with money.
If that was the case, what about the other quest items? In Act Two, the skill scroll that dropped from the chest after killing the mummies in the sewers; in Act Three, "Lam Esen's Tome" found in the Ruined Temple, the potion that added 20 maximum life obtained from the alchemist Alkor after completing the Golden Bird quest... Beyond the surprise, there was an even greater surprise: Shi Xiaolei found that these items could also be farmed.
It's just that they were a bit expensive... As quest items or rewards, these things were more than ten times more expensive than ordinary equipment. The cheapest item cost five or six hundred thousand US dollars, which Shi Xiaolei, with his current income, truly couldn't afford.
In comparison, gambling for equipment was more cost-effective and had a higher price-performance ratio.
For example, now, spending 1.5 million to get three pieces of equipment that add skill levels, all in all, was equivalent to earning sixty skill points. If this money were used to buy "Lam Esen's Tome," he could only buy two, gaining two attribute points.
With a thirty-fold difference, was there any need to consider which to choose?
Moreover, earning skill points by consuming books can only raise skills to level 20 at most. However, the '+ skill level' attribute on equipment is not limited by the skill level cap.
If the increase brought by stacking attribute points is within the rules, then the '+ skill level' attribute on equipment brings an extraordinary breakthrough. The reason Shi Xiaolei loved these pieces of equipment so much, to the core, was because of this one attribute.
"Hey, buddy, what are you thinking about?"
He was so engrossed in thinking about his newly acquired equipment that he forgot Stark was still sitting in front of him. Coming back to his senses, Shi Xiaolei scratched his head sheepishly.
"You've been thinking for so long..." Stopping a temporarily hired waiter and taking two whiskey on the rocks from the tray, Stark handed one to Shi Xiaolei: "It means you really do have some good stuff you haven't brought out, don't you? Let me state upfront, I don't accept 'no' for an answer."
"Alright." Shi Xiaolei nodded with a wry smile, took a sip of his drink, and reluctantly admitted: "I do have some inventory, but..."
"Don't hesitate because of money. You know, money is the one thing I'm never short of."
"It's not about money..."
While answering, he looked left and right.
After confirming the surroundings, Shi Xiaolei turned back, just about to say 'now is not the right time,' when he met Stark's expectant and urgent gaze.
"Alright, alright." Not wanting to keep him in suspense or be seen as indecisive, Shi Xiaolei sighed and, with a flick of his hand, conjured a sparkling gem from the system: "Here, this is it."
Skulls, Diamonds, Topazes, Emeralds, Sapphires, Rubies, Amethysts—in Diablo II, there are a total of seven types of gems that can be socketed. According to ascending levels, each type of gem has five grades: chipped, flawed, normal, flawless, and perfect.
Not wanting to attract the attention of the ladies present, Shi Xiaolei only conjured a low-grade, colorless 'Chipped Diamond.'
It's just that... "Woah~!" Extending two fingers, Stark picked up the diamond from Shi Xiaolei's stunned hand, and a very surprised expression appeared on his face: "I really didn't expect you to have such a large diamond. Locke, now I know why you hesitated just now."
Irregular in shape and with some cracks, its appearance certainly wasn't great.
But it was so big... Although it was just a low-grade chipped diamond, its size was almost as large as a peanut. Measured by internationally accepted standards, this diamond weighed at least eight carats, perhaps even ten carats.
How much is a diamond of ten carats or more worth? On Earth, where Shi Xiaolei came from, a ten-carat diamond would cost at least 8 million, and if its purity was excellent, the cut good, and crafted by a master, jewelry inlaid with a ten-carat diamond could even sell for 50 million to 100 million.
And in the Marvel world. Although there was no De Beers company, there were other giants controlling the market, so overall, the price of diamonds wouldn't be much lower than on Earth.
Someone like Stark could pull some strings and get large diamonds at a very cheap price. But with Shi Xiaolei's connections, it was clearly impossible to go that route.
He was clearly a middle-class individual, yet he could produce such a large diamond... It defied logic, yet it was a fact right before their eyes, so it was no wonder Stark was so surprised.
At this moment, Rhode, who had gone to the restroom, also happened to return.
"Woah~. Tony, are you planning to propose to Pepper?" As soon as he saw the diamond in Stark's hand, Rhode couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.
Although he had become an Air Force Colonel, when interacting with friends, Rhode often unconsciously revealed the slightly boisterous side of his nature as a Black man.
Like now. Half surprised, half happy for his friend... As his mood became excited, Rhode not only forgot to ask for the facts, but he also made his own judgment and his voice was slightly louder when he shouted: "Buddy, why didn't you tell me about such good news? Emm, you must want to give Pepper a surprise, right? Hehe, I understand."
Never mind Stark's reaction for now, Rhode's 'Woah' had already attracted some people's attention—whether they were the girls Stark hired to create an atmosphere, or the family members or female companions guests brought after being invited, their different identities did not prevent them from sharing a common love for jewelry. Out of so many people present, seventy percent were women... Well, given Stark's popularity among single women, even without Rhode's shout, the diamond in his hand would still have been noticed by the female guests.
Fortunately, Pepper was currently with 2B, playing with the little girl Connie upstairs, and was not in the hall.
"Don't shout randomly." Looking left and right, and confirming Pepper wasn't there, Stark quietly breathed a sigh of relief: "Rhode, you misunderstood, Locke brought this out. Do you understand what I mean? Like the potions, this is also a treasure with other uses, not an ordinary diamond... By the way, Locke, what exactly is this thing called?"
"I call it a Chipped Diamond." Shi Xiaolei shrugged and replied with a smile: "The name is indeed the same. If you don't mind, you can also treat it as an ordinary diamond and use it to make jewelry. Although it's a bit of a waste, as its abilities won't be utilized, it doesn't matter... After all, in a lifetime, there are only a few things more important than a proposal. Haha, Tony, if you plan to use it to make a ring for Pepper, I'm all for it, I fully support it."
"Me too~." Receiving Shi Xiaolei's gaze, Rhode also chimed in.
...It's good, it's good. But for me to use it for a proposal? It's still a bit small." Outnumbered two to one, Stark could only find another excuse.
"You want a bigger one?" Shi Xiaolei smiled: "Tell me, how big do you want, what color? Besides this colorless one, I can get red, green, blue, yellow, and amethyst. As long as you're willing to spend money, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."